Game apparatus.



No. 822,789. PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906.

J. G. TWISS.

GAME APPARATUS APPLICATION IILBD PEB.I7,-1906.

W/ TNE SSE S Q lN VE N TOR A TTORNEY PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES Gr. TWISS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1906.

Application filed February 17,1906. Serial No. 301,640.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES G. Twrss, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a game apparatus used or employed in the playing of a game which I have styled overhead pool, which game while requiring a considerable amount of skill is at the same time one wherein a certain amount of physical exercise is required.

The device employed somewhat resembles the game of pool as played upon an ordinary pool-table, the table being represented by a box or compartment formed of a framework, around which is fitted or stretched netting or open-work fabric adapted to be secured or attached to the ceiling of a room and provided at its corners with pockets or receptacles similar to those fitted to the ends of a pool-table, the box or network containing balls and the cue-ball (represented by a bag or sphere) so suspended that it may strike any and all portions of the bottom net in order that the contained balls may be. rolled or driven into the pockets.

The apparatus further consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof.

The apparatus is designed to be installed in a room, hall, or other convenient place and to be attached to the ceiling or other convenient place, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and consists, preferably, of six vertical bars of rods A, made of wood, metal, or other desired material, the lower ends of which rods or bars are connected by the bars B, the whole forming a framework on which is fitted or stretched the netting O. This netting practically forms a box or compartment having the four sides a and bottom I), the ceiling F of the room or hall forming the top. In this box or compartment of openwork fabric or netting are located the balls E, made of Wood, rubber, or other desired material.

In each of the four lower corners or elsewhere of the box or compartment is formed a pocket or receptacle D, designed to receive the balls during the play.

From the ceiling F, or, if desired, from the net forming the bottom I) of the box, is suspended a ball G by the cord II, this ball being preferably an inflated or leather sphere, the cord by which it is hung or suspended being of such length as to allow the ball to swing and strike any or all portions of the bottom net I), the ball being preferably so arranged as to be raised or lowered in order that it may be struck by either the hand or foot.

In playing the game the suspended-ball or sphere G is struck much after the fashion of a punching-bag, the object being to cause it in turn to so strike the contained balls E or to strike the bottom net I) in proximity thereto as to cause the ball E to roll into the box D, as in the game played upon an ordinary pooltable, the counting or scoring being done in any way desire It will be understood without further description or illustration that should the device be used out of doors it may be secured or attached to any suitable framework, the ceiling of course being constructed of wood, netting, or other desired material.

It will be found in practice that the game requires a considerable amount of skill and at the same time an amount of physical exercise such as to render it a healthy recreation for both male and female.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A game apparatus comprising a box or compartment of netting formed with pockets or receptacles, balls contained within the box, and a suspended bag or sphere exterior of the box, substantially as described.

2. A game apparatus comprising a box formed of network having pockets or receptacles located at the lower corners thereof, balls contained within the box, and a ball exterior to the box and so suspended as to be capable of striking any portion of the bottom net of the box, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 15th day of February, A. D.

JAMES G. TWISS. Witnesses:

M. VAN Nonrwrox, N. B. SMITH. 

